Position paper opposing planned restrictions on asylum law, human rights violations, and curbs on fundamental rights

Arrival, detention, deportation. This could soon be the official procedure for dealing with people on the run in Europe.

Tomorrow’s refugee summit of the prime ministers should actually be about support for municipalities in Germany. But the German government refuses to take responsibility. In particular, the SPD and FDP want to talk instead about so-called migration-preventing measures.

Enlargement of the so-called safe countries of origin, increased detention, more collective deportations at German level and introduction of quick asylum procedures in detention-like arrival centres at European level are on the agenda. These measures would mean the de facto abandonment of the rule of law asylum procedures and international agreements and the end of refugee protection in Europe.

The experience of the “EU Turkey Deal” shows that this form of isolation does not lead to lower migration numbers, but instead to detention centers and mass camps like Moria.

Detention centres do not provide relief for municipalities. If housing for housing, money in schools and places in daycare centers are missing, then it is not too many refugees to blame, but the former grand coalition, which has saved the social infrastructure in Germany for decades. The fact that the traffic lights now not only want to maintain this disastrous course, but even to intensify it, is a human catastrophe.

Especially FLINTA people suffer from the already catastrophic housing conditions. Refugees are not part of the problem, but part of the solution. We therefore demand: billions to the municipalities!

All municipalities must receive the support they need.

In addition to financial resources, solidarity between municipalities is also needed. Over 300 municipalities have declared themselves “safe havens” since 2018 and many of them would be willing to accommodate more people.

We therefore make the following demands of the Federal Government:

Enable fair, accessible access to regulated asylum procedures, including gender- and discrimination-sensitive conditions: human rights-infringing rapid asylum procedures, deportation bars and collective deportations are to be abolished.

Right to stay and participation: Work bans and sometimes years of unexplained and uncertain residence permits lead to heavy personal burdens and prevent social and economic participation in social tasks.

Free choice of residence instead of compulsory accommodation and residence obligation: Living in mass shelters is stressful, dangerous and traumatizing, especially for women, children, queer and trans people.

A free choice of residence and support for independent housing search relieves municipalities and emergency accommodation, activates voluntary commitment and promotes active participation in social life in Germany.

Promote appropriate levels of financial support for municipalities and strengthen solidarity structures at local level: we also join the municipalities in calling for greater financial support.

All municipalities must receive the support they need to enable safe reception, human rights-oriented accommodation and future-oriented arrival of refugees.

A refugee summit that primarily deals with how to fight refugees cannot succeed. It is the real problems on the ground, as well as the often inhumane housing that must be combated. Since refugees are not part of the problem, but of the solution, we now call on you to act accordingly!

Come to the rally on the occasion of the Prime Ministers’ Refugee Summit on Wednesday, 10.05.23 at 12:00 in front of the Chancellery in Berlin!